1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the game of golf, and in particular, relates to a game utilizing a standard golf club and ball. The game may be played indoors or outside and may be used to practice golf swings.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous indoor or miniature golf games have been devised to allow golfers to play golf-like games without driving to a golf course or even leaving the office. Many of these games also allow golfers to practice their swings in a manner quite similar to actual golfing, but others are similar to golf primarily in their use of holes, uneven terrain, and other structural features.
In an attempt to simulate actual outdoor golf courses, various indoor golf games provide a variety of different types of simulated holes in the ground. For example, the patent of Shusda (U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,207) has an inclined platform with a circular concave target portion at its elevated end and a chute leading from the concave target portion. The putting device of Robinette (U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,345) also has a cup element having an inclined approach and a regress surface around it. The target of Travers (U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,721) has a dome-shaped upper surface with scoring depressions and a putting hole.
Various golf-ball cups and receptacles exist for use above a surface in simulated golf-type games. For example, see the inventions of Ganger (U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,206) which has a flat circular base and wedge means to keep the ball from rolling out; Trimble (U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,682) which is a frustoconical polygon with ramp edges which tips from its side to an upright position when it receives a ball; Dahlberg (U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,109) comprising a tilted frusto-conical dish on a tripod; Furnari (U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,095) which is a cylinder with one open end for receiving the ball being anchored by a post; and Gubany (U.S. Patent No. 4,878,671) which is a circular cup with a resilient frusto-conical flange anchored by a flagpole placed through a central hole in the cup.
In order to contain all their components and to simulate an actual golf course, many of the golf games provide very elaborate, large simulated courses which may require substantial space or must be placed outdoors. For example, one golf game includes an inclined surface in conjunction with conduits leading from ball receiving compartments (U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,463). Many of the golf courses are also bulky and difficult to transport or set up. Thus, the golf game device of Baum (U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,123) has a peripheral wall with a rail around it.
In many golf games, it may be difficult to get the ball in the hole, or alternatively, it may be easy to get the ball in the holes, but difficult to hit the ball so that the ball stays in a hole. Others provide means of holding a ball in the hole, for example, or of keeping the ball from striking the golfer (U.S. Pat. No, 3,524,649).
Many of the restricted area golf games do not provide means for keeping the ball from rolling away from the playing area. Others have various designs of walls, for example, an arcuately-configured wall (U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,210); or a ball retainer which grasps the edge of a putting mat material (U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,370).
There are also a number of golf mats and putting carpets (e.g., U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 252,048; 267,417; 307,618; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,594) and indoor/outdoor practice targets (e.g., U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 261,295; 261,791; and 273,126). The mats may be provided with a variety of cups, for example, rotatable cups having a ball inlet slot in their side walls (U.S Pat. No. 3,464,704); cup-like elements having releasable elements which pivot out of the way for speeding balls (U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,107); and cups insertable into openings of a mat with transverse lines on it (U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,136).
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a golf game which has components which are inexpensive and simple to produce.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a golf game where the playing area is flat and the goal cups are on top of the playing area.
It is a further object of this invention to a golf game which may be played both indoors and outdoors in a limited area, and which has components which may be easily transported from place to place.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a golf game having means for keeping the ball from rolling out of the hole or off of the playing area.
Other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims.